1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to lighting sources which employ visible and reflective laser beams to provide illumination of airport runways and taxiways, preferred approach and departure routes, helipads, seaplane base landing areas, marine waterways, as well as to assist in search and rescue operations.
2. Description of the Related Art
Many airports handle different types of aircraft ranging from highly sophisticated and complex military aircraft and commercial airliners to ultra-simple single engine airplanes with little in the way of navigation or communication capabilities. Further, the pilot's experience and ability associated with these different aircraft also varies greatly. Edges and center lines of runways and taxiways are typically illuminated with individual incandescent lamps of comparatively high candle power. The type of illumination utilized in many previous systems exhibited a comparatively high installation cost. The power requirements for such prior systems also were excessive, and the systems were expensive to maintain. The construction and maintenance of a standard electrical illuminating system in certain areas is not always practical. Federal Regulations require these areas to be "lit" for night operations. This invention uses lighting sources which employ visible and reflective laser beams to provide illumination of airport runways and taxiways, preferred approach and departure routes, seaplane base landing areas, marine waterways, as well as to assist in search and rescue operations.
The related art is represented by the following patents of interest.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,866,032, issued on Feb. 11, 1975 to Raymond M. Veres, describes an illumination system for providing center and edge stripes for an airport runway, in which six laser generating stations are respectively arranged in with relationship with the ends of the proposed stripes. Veres does not suggest a laser lighting system according to the claimed invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,291,294, issued on Sep. 22, 1981 to Wendell D. Chase, describes a landing approach lighting system which utilizes red warning lights to delineate the runway approach with additional blue lights juxtaposed with the red lights such that the red lights are chromatically balanced. Chase does not suggest a laser lighting system according to the claimed invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,554,543, issued on Nov. 19, 1985 to Ivan S. Wyatt et al., describes a glide slope indicator system in which light from an incoming aircraft's landing light is shaped by a spherical/cylindrical lens combination into a line image which strikes a linear photodiode array. Wyatt et al. do not suggest a laser lighting system according to the claimed invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,700,912, issued on Oct. 20, 1987 to Marshall J. Corbett, describes a laser system for illuminating a column of air which captures an aircraft thereby enabling a pilot to see the air column and "bucket" during take-off and landing. Corbett does not suggest a laser lighting system according to the claimed invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,707,696, issued on Nov. 17, 1987 to Harry L. Task et al., describes a portable glide slope indicator including a pair of light sources, one projecting a steady beam and one projecting a blinking beam. Task et al. do not suggest a laser lighting system according to the claimed invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,862,164, issued on Aug. 29, 1989 to Henry C. Croley et al., describes a portable infrared landing site illumination system for fixed wing and rotary wing aircraft having night vision capabilities as provided by the Army's second generation goggles (PVS-5) or the third generation goggles (ANVIS). Croley et al. do not suggest a laser lighting system according to the claimed invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,531,402, issued on Jul. 2, 1996 to Robert M. Dahl, describes a wireless flight control system. Dahl does not suggest a laser lighting system according to the claimed invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,593,114, issued on Jan. 14, 1997 to Louis F. Ruhl, describes an landing system which allows the pilot to view the approach scene with the use of a forward looking radar or equivalent sensor which provides the means of identifying the runways and the airport and land the aircraft using the automatic landing systems on virtually all types of aircraft. Ruhl does not suggest a laser lighting system according to the claimed invention.
European Patent Number 0 283 441 A2, published on Sep. 21, 1988, describes a lighting system employing light sources and prism elements. European '441 does not suggest a laser lighting system according to the claimed invention.
Great Britain Patent Application Number 2,202,980 A, published on Oct. 5, 1988, describes a flight path indicator including a plurality of individual light sources, beam-forming means for directing light from each of the light sources through a respective color filter and lens system to produce a plurality of differently colored diverging light beams and means for directing the beams at different inclinations to define different angular sectors. Great Britain '980 does not suggest a laser lighting system according to the claimed invention.
International Patent document WO 92/04232, published on Mar. 19, 1992, describes a marker light for airfields that includes a light source and a prism so as to provide two light beams with a desired elevational angle relative to the ground level plane. International '232 does not suggest a laser lighting system according to the claimed invention.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singularly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.